The idea for CalibanCo, the Minneapolis theatre company created by Christi and Jeremy Cottrell, was born during the couple's final semester of their M.F.A. program at Louisiana State University as "a nonchalant way to get out of an assignment."

Upon being asked by their professor to write a five-year career plan, the Cottrells, thinking of a practical way to find work as actors, wrote that they would move to Minneapolis and start their own theatre company. Meanwhile, they never really considered that would be a possibility in such a short amount of time. They chose Minneapolis because it is the third-ranked theatre city behind New York City and Chicago, and more tickets are sold to theatre productions in the city than basketball, baseball and football combined.

"Well, six months out we had already gotten our first production grant for the company," says Christi. "So we produced '2 Noble Kinsmyn' for the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and the rest is history."

In January, Lavender Magazine named the production on its "Top 10 Shows of 2002" for the Twin Cities. With the unexpected publicity that came from the honor, they knew it was a good time to fully launch the company. After searching for a performance space, they've settled in the basement of a local church, and renovations are underway. "It needs some serious help," says Jeremy, "but that's the way Steppenwolf (Theatre) started, so we figured it would work for us, too!"

In its first season, CalibanCo has performed "No Exit," "The Reincarnation of Jaime Brown" and "Suddenly Last Summer" and produced "Charlie Bethel's Beowulf." They plan to hold a grand opening of their new space this month and open their next show Oct. 31. "At the moment we are busy drawing up contracts, managing publicity, planning renovations and events. It's crazy--there is so much that goes into running a theater."

Their schedule is even more chaotic because both work "day jobs" to keep things running. Typically, they leave for work by 8 a.m., head straight to the theater by 6 p.m. and stay until midnight. Says Christi, "Sometimes we miss just being oblivious actors, only going to rehearsals and then home to work on our parts. The most rewarding thing is that we go home completely drained mentally, physically and spiritually, but we go to bed happy. We're living our dream, and not many people can truly say that."

Christi knew early on that her future was in the spotlight. Growing up in Dallas, she has been a professional actress, singer and dancer since age eight, doing film, television and theatre. "I knew from the time I was 10 that I would never be happy if I wasn't an actress. My spirit speaks through my work, and you should always give your spirit an outlet."

Jeremy was "a late bloomer" in theatre and says he got into the craft by accident. If not for a debate teacher at Leander High School who needed extra men for a production of "Lil' Abner," he might not have discovered his passion. The two met as first-year students in the Theatre Department at Southwestern. They married in Las Vegas in 1999.

Jeremy says they hope CalibanCo will be their only job two years from now. By 2008, they would like to own their own building and have an equity agreement. Both are pursuing more graduate studies as they find the time. "Our very long-term goal," says Christi, "is to attach the theatre to a university where we would teach, so students could intern, earn equity points and work with professional actors. We keep pushing. Maybe someday we'll decide we've done enough, but as for now, we just can't seem to get enough!"